NCL Dawn vs. RCCL Explorer to Bermuda

[SanFranBayCruiser]

I know this is like comparing apples and oranges but, just looking for general opinions. We are trying to decide between a 5 night Bermuda cruise on Royal Carriban Explorer or a 7 night Bermuda/Bahamas cruise on Norwegian Dawn. I don't believe freestyle cruising will have much effect on us but, then again we do like formal night in the main dinning room and don't want to be the only people dressed if we go with NCL Dawn. We are looking at sometime in May and no school age children are involved. We have been to Bermuda at least a dozen times and we still love it. We sailed to Bermuda several years ago on Nordic Empress and had less than a positive experience...to the point where it turned us off Royal Caribbean but, we have never sailed on any NCL ship. I would like to try Explorer because it is a Voyager class ship but, then again, having so many dinning choices on NCL Dawn is appealing (and no we don't mind the surcharge restaurants).

 

Anyone care to offer an opinion of which you'd select and why?

[BeachBumMama]

I've been to Bermuda on the Majesty, it stays in port at St. George, and this is one of my favorite cruises, even though ship is smaller and older. A much more intimate experience. I've also sailed on the Dawn, and she is one of my favorite's also, but in a different way. Certainly larger, more dining options etc.

 

Sorry I can't compare with the Explorer, I've never been on that one. I've sailed RCCL Enchantment and Monarch. And I'm not familiar with the itinerary Dawn would have on the Bermuda/Bahamas cruise. A few days in both ports?

 

As for freestyle cruising, once experienced, it's hard (for me anyway) to go back to 'traditional' dining. And as you said, the dining options on the Dawn are tremendous, you actually need more than 7 days to experience all your options.

 

As for formal night, I've found on all NCL cruises I've been on that you won't be the only people dressed up. My family and I love this as we don't do it at home and it's the best time to get great pictures. As a matter of fact, while on the Majesty to Bermuda, they had a picture package for a decent price and hubby and I walked away with over 50 professional pictures for less than $200. You signed up for it first day, and you got any picture they took all week. Several opportunities each night for different places. Not sure if this is offered on other ships now or not.

 

As for which I'd select, it all depends on how long the Dawn will be in Bermuda as opposed to the Explorer I guess. If it's only a day stop or so, I'd much rather spend more time in Bermuda than going to the Bahamas. But then again, I'd go again on the Majesty, but that's me, I found this one of the most relaxing cruises of my life and there's something to be said sometimes for something less than the mega-ships.

[ACruisingWeWillgo]

My family and I have been on two Voyager class ships and were on the Dawn about a year ago. We have been die hard RCCL for alot of years, but the prices that summer made me check out other lines, happily we found the Dawn out of New York and decided to give it a try, for the money it was a great cruise I felt the food was as good or better than RCCL, we loved the freestlyle dining. Alot of choices for dining.

 

My kids like the Voyager Class ships better felt there was more to do, and I will ad they are in a class by them selves for size, very large ship.

 

All that said I don't think you can make a wrong decision both are great.

 

Good luck with your pick.

 

P.S. We will be back on the Dawn in March. YEA!!!

 

Scott

[cruisin4kicks]

Can't say anything about Bermuda but I have been on the Dawn and loved it. One thing Norwegian has that I wish RCI would do is have cookouts by the pool every day for lunch... grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, chicken, steak, bratwurst, etc. We ate there every day for lunch.

 

In my opinion, Norwegian "broadway shows" are better than RCI as well... at least on the cruises we've been on. Norwegian does have "formal night" although it is completely optional. There are still lots and lots of people that dress up for dinner on the formal nights.

 

On NCL, I've only cruised the Dawn and Star (sister ships) and have nothing bad to say about either one. I would go on either one of them again in a heartbeat. If any craps players are reading this, the casino on the Dawn offers 5x odds at the table instead of single odds like RCI does on all its ships.

 

Tim

[odiesam]

We have never sailed on NCL but are making plans for one. Have sailed 2 Royal Caribbean Voyager ships including the Voyager to Bermuda last summer. We were diverted to Canada because of weather so that is something to consider though sailing in May probably avoids this. The point is that if the Explorer has to divert from Bermuda - with only 5 days you will be headed north to cloudy cool Canada versus the other warm weather ports on the Dawn's itinerary.

[sjbdtz]

We have never sailed on NCL but are making plans for one. Have sailed 2 Royal Caribbean Voyager ships including the Voyager to Bermuda last summer. We were diverted to Canada because of weather so that is something to consider though sailing in May probably avoids this. The point is that if the Explorer has to divert from Bermuda - with only 5 days you will be headed north to cloudy cool Canada versus the other warm weather ports on the Dawn's itinerary.

 

 

Canada has 4 seasons.... including one called Spring (alternating sunny / rainy days like Maine), one called Summer (hot like Chicago); one called Fall (beautiful foliage like Vermont); and one called Winter (brutally cold like Minnesota).

 

Not sure which one qualified as "cloudy cool", but it's not useful to generalize like that.

[odiesam]

Did not mean to offend but being from the midwest most of our year is cloudy and cool.

 

I was just speaking to our experience.

[Leafpeeper]

the poster was right about cloudy and cool weather in Nova Scotia in May. We were there last year at the end of May and noticed there were no leaves on the trees yet. Weather was in the 50's.

 

The Dawn cruise sounds great but the timing isn't right for us. If the Dawn was sailing to Bermuda in late October or early November, I would take that cruise instead. The Dawn is such a fantastic ship. I love having the choice of an Italian, French, Mexican, Japanese, American, or even Steak House restaurant each night. We are sailing RCCL Explorer to Bermuda Oct 1st. Hope the hurricanes stay out of our way. I'd be happy stopping at Martha's Vineyard or Newport if we were diverted because of weather, but prefer to drive to Canada.

 

I recently found out the new ship RCCL Jewel of the Seas is also sailing from Boston to Bermuda Oct 26. I am so confused what to do because we live 45 minutes south of Boston.

[Jeanne S]

Have been on the Dawn to Bahamas/Florida and RCCL VOS to Bermuda. BOth ships are going to stop only at King's Wharf so the port is the same. RCCL is overnight but is only a 5 night cruise and in my opinion sometimes the 5 day cruises on RCCL wind up costing as much as the 7 day ones on NCL. We did not get Lobster on our recent RCCL 5 day cruise (sometimes the serve it and sometimes not). The food is not as good as NCL but is not bad.

 

Now that NCL has dropped Florida and added Bermuda this is a great cruise. You will have the private beach and an overnight in Nassau and a full day in Bermuda plus 3 sea days. Compared to RCCL with 2 sea days and an overnighter is a no brainer to me.

 

I would go on the Dawn - you will feel more as if you got away. 5 days is too short.

[Jeanne S]

In my opinion, Norwegian "broadway shows" are better than RCI as well... at least on the cruises we've been on. Norwegian does have "formal night" although it is completely optional. There are still lots and lots of people that dress up for dinner on the formal nights.

 

 

 

Tim

 

The problem with the Dawn is that they dropped the Broadway show (tribute to Andrew Llloyd Webber) and subsitutued Second sity Comedy. Latin Night was a bust and Boolywood - well what can I say - but is Cirquie du Soleil, mor Vegas, not Broadway. The shows in 2005 were on where as good on the Dawn as in 2003.